Neural Circuits, Ensembles + Connectomes

The functioning of neural circuits involves millions of neurons with the ability to combine and coordinate in myriad ways to form ensembles. Human connectome research, in which Hopkins plays a major role, is expected to map these complex interactions

Early studies in brain science, including breakthroughs from pioneering Johns Hopkins researcher and professor Dr. Vernon Mountcastle, were designed to disentangle the network complexity of the brain by exploiting the relative accessibility of sensory receptive fields. Pioneering work at Hopkins on these sensory fields would reveal network principles such as the columnar organization of the cerebral cortex.

More recently, the advent of modern molecular, viral, and optogenetic approaches has allowed neuroscientists to discover new principles of ensemble organization. Experimental tools used widely in the department include in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiology; calcium imaging; anatomical mapping; molecular targeting of synapses and circuits with viral and optogenetic strategies; as well as behavioral analysis to determine the functional properties of identified circuits. These tools are being used to dissect neural circuits controlling reward and motivation, social interactions, complex movements, and cognition, as well as sensory perception.